


Aboard The Azule Phoenix!

by MichaelSeleineButler



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action, Adventure, Emotional, Fantasy, Fiction, Friendship, Funny, LGBT, Multi, Pirates, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:41:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25626112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MichaelSeleineButler/pseuds/MichaelSeleineButler
Summary: In the beginning, there were the seas, then, there were the lands.Thus begins the tale of Bethen Lachar - Interwoven with lies, truth, magic, and people.Aboard the Azule Phoenix!, tells the story of a ship, and its crew, that gets caught up in the crossfire between fates and wills.





	1. Prologue

In the beginning, there were the seas. Then there were the lands. 

The Sibling Deities - Goddesses Tyva, Xehther, Caana, and Gods Hyldeus and Edteyar - ruled over the ocean, the sun, the wind, the sky, and the earth. They watched over the people.

During those times there was no king who ruled the lands and set the laws. There were just people. People who braved the seas and people who fared the lands - The mainlanders and the sea-dwellers. In those days, the people of these two communities did not like each other. The mainland people called the seafaring folks barbarians. The seafaring folks called the mainlanders dychryn.

Among the sea-dwellers,

What's a dychryn? Well, t's an insult. No, you don't need t' know th' meaning. Now shush! Eyes closed!

Among the sea-dwellers, grew a boy with bright blue eyes. He was named Bethen. People called him Bethen Lachar, because unlike his people, Bethen was willing to learn the ways of the land. He stayed in the mainlands for many years, then travelled the various islands, learning everything that is there to know. Seeing his devotion, the Deities granted him immortality. For them, Bethen was the bridge between themselves and the people. With Bethen amidst the people, the Gods believed that any problem could be solved. How very wrong they were.

The serpent travelled across the skies many times more. The mainlanders and the sea-dwellers came to learn the value of co-operation. They learned that tolerating some quirks would be beneficial to both communities. As the result of this speculation, both communities formed treaties to co-exist peacefully.

Bethen Lachar, for his part, did not give a hoot about the world. As was his nature, he was happy exploring and learning. Time seemed to affect only his hair, turning it a pale shade of grey, thinning at the top of his head. Sunlight seemed to bounce of his balding head as he walked the shores of his island along with his daughter, Anahita.

Yes, my child. This is th' Sandborn Anahita. Now, close your eyes. 

Anahita was precious to Bethen. Craving for a family, Bethen had scooped up sand from the sea floor, molded it, called it his daughter, and named her Anahita. The kindhearted Goddess Tyva, blessed the figurine with life. Anahita grew up with wonder in her eyes. And, like her father, she yearned to learn everything about the world around her. 

One day, Anahita begged her father to let her go to the mainland - somewhere she had never been before. Since Bethen did not want his daughter to grow up without knowing the world, he allowed it. This incident would changed the course of the land.

You see, the leaders of both the mainlanders and the sea-dwellers had become wary of Bethen Lachar, the favorite immortal of the Gods, and the creature he called his daughter. It did not matter that Bethen was kind and caring, and that Anahita was charming and delightful. The fact remained that if he wanted, Bethen could take control and rule both the land and the seas. 

What happened on that day is still unclear. Some say that people saw Anahita manipulate sea water to her will, some others say they saw Anahita produce lightning with her bare hands. Anyhow, on that day, the people of the mainland, caught Anahita from the seashore, burned her on a pyre, gathered her ashes in an urn, tied it to a boulder, and threw it into the sea. 

Noticing that his daughter had not yet returned, Bethen came to the mainlands, searching for Anahita. Calling out her name, Bethen stumbled along the shores of the mainland, despair filling his heart. During the dark hours before the dawn, Anahita heeded her father's cry. She crawled out of her urn, glided up the strong currents, rose up to the surface to answer Bethen's call. Bethen fell to his knees when he saw his daughter.

Anahita's once-silver hair was now entwined with seaweeds. Her alabaster skin had cracked, sand pouring out from her instead of blood. Soot and ash covered her body, instead of the blue dress she wore. Grey slime webbed her hands and feet. She had turned into a wraith. Bethen could only weep at this sight. 

The poor child could not understand why she couldn't run to her weeping father, or why her father was crying. She screamed in frustration when she saw her skin and hands. Her cries of agony turned into shrieks of anger as she finally realized what happened. Born of earth, water, and fire, she called upon the elements to avenge the injustice done to her. The elements obeyed. Rage burning inside, her parent elements empowering her, Anahita unleashed her fury on the mainland. For ten days, Anahita savaged the mainland, killing, burning, drowning. Anahita would not stop. No one escaped her wrath. 

The Sibling Deities called upon Bethen. Anahita had to be stopped. But Bethen had no powers with which he could control the elements. The Deities decided that they would each give a token of their power. With the combined power of all the five Deities, Bethen would have a chance against the Sandborn Wraith.

Goddess Tyva, gouged out her eyes, turning it into the shape of an eel and tortoise. She attached the jewels to a pendant and blessed it with the power to control the tides. God Hyldeus removed his gauntlet. It could control lightning. Goddess Xehther, the goddess of light, removed her circlet and placed it on Bethen's forehead. God Edteyar gave his axe which could control the lands. Goddess Caana handed her ring to Bethen. It would help him control the winds. Together, these relics given by the Gods came to be known as Arfaud u'wiau - The weapons of the Gods. Thus armed, Bethen set forth to face his daughter.

Bethen Lachar fought his daughter on the very shores he lost her. For days their battle continued. Even the combined power of the Gods was no match for the Sandborn wraith. And Bethen was only a human. He could not fight without food or respite. On the fifth day of the battle, Bethen fell face forwards on the shore, life seeping out of him. With the small amount of strength he had left in him, Bethen begged his daughter to come by his side. As Anahita wailed by her dying father, Bethen drove Edteyar's axe into the wraith's body, sand and slime pouring out from the wound. Bethen then summoned a huge wave that dragged himself and the screeching wraith that once was his daughter, into the seas. They were never seen again.

This is how Bethen Lachar buried his daughter Anahita Tywood, the Sandborn Wraith, deep in the sea floor.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything began with this. The Tale of Bethen Lachar. This was the first time my mother told me and my sister the tale of the Great Warlock. Of course, she was trying to get her two daughters to sleep, but I was not lulled. I was mesmerized. 

I have delved deep into the legend to know that this is not, in fact, a myth or a story, but the history of my land. And I will shatter it into pieces. 

No longer will I be bound by the chains of the land.

The era of the Great Warlock is over. The One True Sorceress will rise.

The world will be mine.


	2. Part One

The Quartermaster of the Azule Phoenix, Iouen Bywell, stepped onto the deck of the ship, his spectacles and dark hair shining beneath the afternoon sun. Around him, the crew buzzed about, preparing the ship for its next voyage. He had come from the cargo hold, where he and Petra Machen, the boatswain, were loading the cargo they had procured for their commission to the Island Clutters. The green-eyed woman had made Iouen work until she was sure that the numerous sacks of wheat and dried corn, the various bottles of cured meats and vegetables, and the boxes containing square-cut ores were secure enough to withstand the long journey across the Eastern leg of the Wide Seas.

The Azule Phoenix was anchored near the drydock of the Balik Island. Double-decked and triple-masted, the ship had become Iouen's home. He would stare at the Phoenix that stood as the figurehead and imagine it flying into the skies, taking the ship along with it; the glint from the blue eyes of the statue made it easier. The captain had smiled when Iouen told her this. 

Iouen Bywell looked over to his captain, Solen Luzel, who was leaning on the handle of her mop, her expression close to tears. Her pants were rolled up, exposing her calves and the black phoenix tattoo on her right leg. Iouen smirked at the over-sized vest she was wearing. Over-sized vest. The quartermaster gasped as the realization dawned on him. He walked over to the pouting captain.

'Captain!' Iouen saw Solen Luzel turn her agonized eyes up towards him, the wind blowing her short hair across her coal-black eyes. She was short. Very short. He couldn't help himself. 'Woah! Why the short face?' 

'`Cause I cannot pull it tall.' Solen countered, rolling her eyes at Iouen. She smirked when Iouen scrunched up his face. 'All done with the cargo?'

'Yes. Petra swears by it. She says we can go through the Eastern End and the cargo would still be secure,' Iouen eyed the mop she was holding. 'I thought you were in charge of stocking the kitchen?'

'I was,' the captain's face turned sad again. 'But I broke a jar. And for my luck, Aela was there in the kitchen with the cook. And this -' she sighed, '- is my punishment.' Aela Cyllel was Captain Luzel's wife and the first-mate of the ship.

'And it serves you right, Luzel!' The captain and the quartermaster turned towards the source of the hoarse voice. Solen's face lit up at the sight of her wife with a bundle of blankets in her hand, her ruffled skirt hitched up on the side, dark hair pulled back in a braid. 'I want the deck spotless.' Aela Cyllel barked at her wife, walking up to stand next to them. Aela was a head shorter than Iouen.

'Aye, Aye, mon cheri,' Solen reached up to tuck a lose strand of hair behind Aela's ear. Aela's stern expression melted into a tender smile. 

At the sight of his tired captain and distraught first-mate sharing a moment of companionship, Iouen glanced away, flighting the urge to smile wide, a twinkle dancing in his eyes. Iouen was generous enough to let the couple have their moment - only momentarily. 

'Erm...' Iouen addressed the pair, breaking them out of their shared reverie. 'Sorry to break your... thing... but, Solen, isn't that my vest you are wearing?'

'Is it?' 

'Yes! Yes, it is! Look at it! It's as if you are wearing a sack with holes in it!'

'All my vests are big for me. But I see you are right. This might be your vest.' Solen admitted, eyeing him sheepishly. 'Your name is there on the sleeve.' Iouen pursed his lips at her. Solen gave him a wide smile.

'Why are you wearing Iouen's vest?' The sudden appearance of Laila Gweler, the oracle of the Azule Phoenix made the trio jump. Laila's dark grey eyes stood in stark contrast against her bright blue tunic and silver cloak. Her thick curly hair was tied back with a ribbon. She had a scroll in her hands.

'Honest mistake.' The captain shrugged.

'Is that a commission, Laila?' the first-mate asked the oracle, eyeing the scroll. Business transactions between the Mainlands, the Island Clutters, and the Oracle's Guild was carried out through commission scrolls. The Mainlands and the Island Clutters had Outposts, where the new commissions were handed out and the fulfilled commissions were rewarded. The Oracle's Guild had their own system of dispatching commissions. These were taken care of by the oracles in the field.

'Mm.. Hm..' Laila nodded, 'I got it from a colleague of mine. He was here to see the market. Some coincidence, huh.'

'I'll say,' Solen agreed, taking the scroll from Laila and examining the embossed stamp. A bright red serpent circled the image of what Solen knew was the moon. This was the well known insignia of the Oracle's Guild. 'Huh!' She rubbed her neck with her free hand as she read the scroll again with wide eyes. 'Fifty hundred bronze coins?' Aela gave a loud gasp just as Iouen snatched the scroll from Solen's hands. Laila gave a lopsided grin.

'Is this item rare? This.. bite-kisi-goul?' Iouen asked Laila, twisting his tongue.

'Bitkisigul. Rare not because of its shortage, but because it can be grown only once during every eight or nine years.'

'This is worth five or six commissions,' Aela said, staring at the scroll from beside Iouen. Laila shrugged.

'And you know where can we get this.. thing?' Solen asked Laila.

'In the apothecary near the market.' 

After a moment's thinking, Solen spoke up. 'Iouen, I want you to confirm whether the commission is still running. If it is active, we will have a new heading. Take the longboat. You can be back before the silver star rises. Take Yohan with you.'

'Oh!' Aela chimed in, '-in that case, take the Toulouse boy also. The boy has a list of things we need.'

Solen turned to the oracle. 'You and Aela can go to the shoreside market and get the item.'

'I can manage it alone,' said Laila.

The 'No!' Captain Luzel gave was final. The Oracle stuck her tongue out at the captain as she shook the mop dry.

'I want you all back here before the moon rises. Or else I'm sending a search party.' With a curt nod, Solen Luzel dismissed the members of her crew before taking the mop back to the storage.

Solen gave a startled cry as the mop was snatched away midstride and a bowl was pushed into her hands. She looked up to see Betrys Wogan, the cook of the Azule Phoenix, standing next to her. Tall, thin, and tough, Betrys Wogan ruled the kitchen with an iron ladle.

'What is this?' Solen asked, scowling at the bowl.

'Stew.' Betrys brushed off invisible dust from her shirt sleeve, her pale-blue eyes looking askance at the captain.

Solen gave Betrys an irritated look. 'I know this is stew, Wogan. What is this stew made of?'

'Fish. No -' Betrys continued, when Solen curled her lips, ' - I will not have any of your privileged tastes here. Not while I am in charge of feeding you and your crew. How are you, a woman who can't eat fish, and your wife, a woman who doesn't eat either fish or meat, able to maintain a ship and crew and keep the business running?'

'It has something to do with the fact that we are NOT in the business of eating fish.'

'Don't get smart with me, Luzel. Now eat, unless you want to faint like you did last time.'

'I did not faint.' The protest Captain Luzel muttered was weak.

'Really?' Betrys asked, her blue eyes narrowing. 'Cause I remember the first-mate bawling her eyes out when the quartermaster walked up the gangway, with you unconscious on his shoulder. You broke that girl's heart, you did. She spent an entire night and day by your bed. All because you refused to take your meals. Now, are you going to eat, or -' Betrys pointed the wooden handle of the mop at Solen, her pale-blue eyes deadpan. 

'Fine.' Solen flinched away from the weaponized handle, took a taste of the stew. Her eyebrows raised in wonder as she chewed. Betrys smiled at the deep sigh of satisfaction Solen gave after swallowing. 

'Well?' Betrys asked.

'This is amazing.' Solen eagerly took another mouthful. ''Ow bip'oo boo bif?' 

'My own ingredients and recipe.' Betrys Wogan shrugged. 'Bring the bowl to the kitchen once you are done.' Solen barely noticed as the cook walked away, her braids swinging, for she was gulping down the fish stew she apparently hated. 

The rest of the preparation for the voyage was routine work. Quartermaster Bywell confirmed that the people at the outpost had confirmed that the commission from the Guild was active and running. Though faced with initial suspicion, Iouen had managed to counter it by taking the oracle's name. The new heading was added to the course of the voyage. Even though adding the Oracle's Guild would increase the duration of their voyage, the high reward for the commission added to the spirit of the crew.

Aela and Laila visited the apothecary. They faced no hardships in procuring the item for the commission. It was handed over to the captain in a box wrapped in a cotton cloth. There was a parchment with instructions - The item was not to be opened. Hence, the box, along with the commission scroll and the instruction parchment, went into the captain's safe. And without further happenings, Azule Phoenix was ready to set sail by the high tide of the rising moon.


End file.
